Environmental education for tourism providers and volunteers in Marine Protected Areas: the case of the National Park Cozumel Reef

Abstract

The program for environmental education offered by the National Park Cozumel Reef (PNAC) represents the tendency for adults seeking non formal education programs. The aim is to increase good practices when operating in the marine protected area, and for better environmental awareness of the 2.8 million tourists visiting Cozumel Island every year. The study approaches the need for training professionals and provides descriptive data of the 1,087 professionals trained by the PNAC course in Cozumel. An update of the last 5 years Coral training program is the basis for statistical analysis and recommendations for a recycling course. This document supports the importance of training programs for managing protected areas.